He added: The Church must examine “case by case” who these people are. “You cannot only be a Catholic because you are in disagreement with the choices of your own confession; how it’s not sufficient to just sign the Catechism of the Catholic Church, even if it is a meaningful choice. That’s why I want to reiterate: You must look at this on a case-by-case basis and not generalize.”
The cardinal predicted it will not be an easy decision for Anglican bishops and pastors to make also from the standpoint of social position. Among the practical issues to be addressed, Cardinal Kasper pointed to “concern among some Anglican bishops and pastors about sharing their dioceses: one part that enters into the Catholic Church and another that remains Anglican. How to manage a separation like that? And then church buildings: Who do they belong to? Who determines if a building is owned by the state or municipality or the community, if it’s Catholic or Anglican?”
Concerning the Traditional Anglican Communion, Cardinal Kasper said: “Nearly two years ago, their representatives asked to be incorporated into the Catholic Church. But they have not taken part in the talks. Now, however, they’re getting on board a train that is already in progress. Okay, if they are sincere, then the doors are open. But we do not close our eyes to the fact that since 1992 they have not been in communion with Canterbury. “ He added: “We must respect conscience and freedom of conscience. Conversion, then, is a personal matter: There is the freedom of grace, the freedom of human decision.”
On the sensitive issue of priestly celibacy, for Cardinal Kasper, there are no points to be clarified, as there is no change in the discipline of the Church.
[blockquote] Among the practical issues to be addressed, Cardinal Kasper pointed to “concern among some Anglican bishops and pastors about sharing their dioceses: one part that enters into the Catholic Church and another that remains Anglican. [/blockquote] I find it hard to fathom that there will not also be concern among some Roman bishops about sharing their dioceses: one part that enters into the Anglican Church and another that remains Roman.
The only Roman Catholics eligible to actually enter the Anglican ordinariates are Roman Catholics who themselves converted from an Anglican tradition or who were baptized into the ordinariates. It is very possible that Roman Catholics who cannot join the Anglican ordinariates will nonetheless attend mass at the churches of the Anglican ordinariates, but that is simple marketplace competition so that, if any particular parish or diocese wanted to prevent a putative tide of Roman Catholics from attending Mass at Anglican ordinariate churches, they would simply offer more liturgies with a basically similar, “high church” ethos. That is to say, I can’t really imagine any problems about sharing dioceses, though perhaps some Roman clergy will not appreciate the added pressure to move towards liturgies that are more “high church.”